rod & reel suggestions

i have only been fly fishing for a year now but some buddies and i are taking a trip to montana to go fly fishing. i'm looking to upgrade my rod & reel but i'm not sure what i should get. i currently have a argus 5wt rod & reel. i still consider myself a beginner so i'm not looking to spend an enormous amount of money on a rod & reel just yet. any suggestions would help alot, thanks.

You might want to look at St. Croix. They have 4 or 5 models in their line. I've got a couple of my own, with my favorite being the Imperial 3/4 weight. I've used it in Montana before and it handled everything just fine. Check with your local fly shop. Most of them carry a couple St. Croix models. Creekside in Isssaquah I think still carries them. ROFESSOR

St. Croix is not a bad direction. Also, both Orvis and Loomis offer a lot of different models at a lot of different price points, not just one or two cheaper versions of their expensive rods (with cheaper components and/or "second" blanks).

I absolutely LOVE my Cabela's stowaway rod. I have a 8'6" five piece five weight that I bought for $75, and it is hard to tell the difference between that rod and my sages and scotts. I've always been a bit of a rod snob but that rig really surprised me. They also have seven piece rods for a little more, but I haven't thrown one of those. The five piece packs into almost anything,which is great.

If you are looking for a midpriced rod I actually think the St. Croix Legend Ultras compare really well to rods like the Sage XP but only cost $300. I have an eight weight that casts like a dream.

Ditto on the St. Croix Legend Ultra, great rod, I have two of them. My brother has one of the lower end St. Croix, the Imperial I think. It's also a great rod, just a little bit heavier and not as nice looking without the wooden real seat etc, but it casts great. The added weight is noticeable though, especially after a few hours. I feel like it's even more capable of casting alot of line than my rod, but not nearly as good on the small delicate casts. I've also read and heard some great things about the Cabela's Stowaway rod, and I think you can get the whole setup (rod, reel and line) for under $150, not bad at all. As far as reels go, I've had great luck with the Ross Colorado, and the Tioga. Both were around $100 but feel solid and I can tell I'll have them for many years to come. The Tioga has a great drag system, nice and smooth.

The Cabela Stowaway is a good rod but the reel that comes with it is not that great. I am on my 3rd reel in 2 years that Cabela's has replaced due to defects. The reel also has a bad habit of catching the fly line between the spool and the main body of the reel itself. This cuts the flyline outer coating. Get the rod itself it is a great rod but buy another brand of reel. I have been using the Scientific Anglers reel and it works without any trouble at all even on larger fish. :HMMM :HMMM

I haven't used the Cabelas reels so I can't speak to that. For a mid-priced reel, I like the Ross Cimmarron. A disc drag really does help with big trout in a lake or stream, no matter what the purists say. Click drag reels will land a lot of fish. Disc drags will land more. I lost the trout of my life on the Beaverhead a few years back and I am convinced that a better reel would have protected my tippet better. Ross quality is also as good as it gets. I have two of the Tiogas and I'm not as happy with them. I found with both that when you cranked down the drag once, they became very loose when I turned the drag back down. I had to send one of them back in for parts. Other mid-priced disc reels that I have used and like but have less experience with are the Loomis adventure reels and the Redington GD reels.

After reading what you wrote,I might be in the market for one more rod. When I go fishing I usually use my wagon,but if I go in my wifes car nothing fits so I have to leave everything at home and not fish. What a bummer.What's another fly rod between man and wife.

I bought a lamiglas rod 9-0 4 wt works great. Got it from sportco for $100.oo or so and my reel is a scientific angler (system two) havent had much time on them yet but they seem farly priced for what they are and Carl down at sportco is a avid fly fisher and has a good idea on different setups. and not the salesman type to just sell you anything.